US says Russian-brokered truce that prevented further bloodshed in Nagorno-Karabakh war was actually ‘destabilizing’ influence

 

18 Dec, 2020 10:47

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A representative of Russian peacekeepers poses with schoolchildren in the village of Chartar, the self-proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. © Sputnik / Valeriy Melnikov 

A Moscow-brokered ceasefire may have prevented an absolute bloodbath in the Nagorno-Karabakh war, but the US State Department says Russian peacekeepers are a threat to the region.

At a press conference on Wednesday, US Assistant Secretary of State Clarke Cooper was asked by an Azerbaijani reporter whether the country would be able to “counter Russian influence” in the region, given the deployment of nearly 2,000 troops along the disputed border to protect civilians and act as a buffer against further fighting.

READ MORE: Moscow-brokered Nagorno-Karabakh truce vital for preserving life & stopping bloodshed in disputed region, says Putin

“In such cases,” Cooper responded, “Russia’s presence threatens destabilization. This, of course, is a challenge for all involved.” He added that the US supported peace negotiations and wanted them to focus on “humanitarian” issues.

The truce between Azerbaijan and Armenia, brokered by Moscow, came into force on 10 November, and was broadly welcomed by countries across the region and most serious experts. Since then, the deal has recognized the significant territorial gains made by the Azerbaijan army and brought most of the fighting to a halt. However, sporadic outbreaks and offensives against some Armenian positions have continued.

Even the Western media has noted that the US has been conspicuously absent from attempts to mediate the conflict. When the Russian-backed armistice was announced, one US diplomat solemnly declared that “the US wasn’t coordinated into that discussion.”

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At the time, Fyodor Lukyanov, chairman of Russia’s Presidium of the Council on Foreign and Defense Policy said America’s muted response to the crisis demonstrated that it is no longer “a neighbor to every country on Earth.”